[Ads-l] "Hella" in the Bay Area Reporter, 1982-85 (was Re: Hella research inquiry)

[Ben Zimmer]

Following Peter Reitan's lead, I checked the Internet Archive for San
Francisco Bay Area sources from the '80s and came across some important
"hella" antedatings. In the Bay Area Reporter, a weekly alternative
newspaper serving the LGBT community, there are several examples of "hella"
used as both an adverb and adjective dating all the way back to 1982, four
years earlier than what had previously been found. Below are examples from
'82, '83, '84, and '85, all from the same Oakland-based columnist who used
the pen name "Nez Pas." That further reinforces the idea that "hella"
originated in the East Bay (as suggested by later examples, like those from
James Hetfield and Too $hort in '86).

According to this article, the real name of "Nez Pas" is Peter Palm:
https://www.ebar.com/entertainment/culture/173481
"And to keep up on the lively bar scene in the East Bay, there was a column
by Nez Pas, known in real life as Peter Palm, the co-owner of Revol at 3924
Telegraph with his partner Ralph Tate. Nez Pas kept his readers up on the
community events in Oakland, Walnut Creek and Hayward."

Here are the cites:

----
https://archive.org/details/BAR_19820311/page/n15/mode/2up
Bay Area Reporter, Mar. 11, 1982, p. 17, col. 3
Nez Pas, "Oakland: Chuck of Montclair"
Until next time with the bits and pieces, take the time to find out about
someone... you just might be "hella surprised!"
----
https://archive.org/details/BAR_19831027/page/n19/mode/2up
Bay Area Reporter, Oct. 27, 1983, p. 21, col. 1
Nez Pas, "Oakland: Buckle Your Seat Belts"
Graham promises a lot of entertainment on video screens throughout both
bars, scrumptious victuals, "hella" contests, and mucho prizes!
----
https://archive.org/details/BAR_19841025/page/n19/mode/2up
Bay Area Reporter, Oct. 25, 1984, p. 21, col. 1
Nez Pas, "Oakland: Royal Summit, Meet the Monarchs"
Third: Lengthy, drawn-out cants aren't necessary in raising "hella" bucks.
----
https://archive.org/details/BAR_19850307/page/n17/mode/2up
Bay Area Reporter, Mar. 7, 1985, p. 19, col. 2
Nez Pas, "Oakland: Kudos Galore"
And speaking of March 10, a "hella" interest is being shown in the "Wizard
of Oz Party" at Big Mama's that date.
----

--bgz

On Mon, Sep 28, 2020 at 4:26 PM Ben Zimmer <bgzimmer at gmail.com> wrote:

> In a 2016 post, I shared two "hella" citations from 1986, one from a
> magazine interview with James Hetfield of Metallica and one from lyrics by
> the rapper Too $hort.
>
> http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/ads-l/2016-March/141400.html
>
> I also posted a screenshot of the Hetfield interview on Twitter. (He
> actually used "hella" twice: "I'm hella paranoid" and "Yeah, hella" in
> response to "Does that scare you?")
>
> https://twitter.com/bgzimmer/status/713000098276511744
>
> --bgz
>
> On Mon, Sep 28, 2020 at 3:50 PM Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at yale.edu>
> wrote:
>
>> For a student working at the Yale Grammatical Diversity Project, I’m
>> wondering if anyone has any suggestions on early cites and history of
>> “hella”.  OED and HDAS both have 1987 for the earliest cite, but I suspect
>> that can now be antedated. At HDAS, Jon classifies it as a prefix but it’s
>> clearly shed that restriction when used in frames like the attested “This
>> chair reclines hella”, and I’d be inclined to go with the OED’s entry
>> listing it as an adverb (“hella fast/smart/funny”) and adjective (“hella
>> memory/pride/stairs”).  Our survey results are generally consistent with
>> the widespread view that it’s a Californianism (although while the
>> shibboleth still associates it with Northern California, that appears to no
>> longer be true), while also showing that it’s expanded well beyond that.
>> (DARE doesn’t have a separate entry, and just one cite, from Berkeley,
>> within the entry for “tight”. In terms of etymology, can we go beyond the
>> OED’s disjunctive suggestion, "Probably shortened < either helluva adj. or
>> hellacious adj.”?  Is there any literature the student should check out?
>> We’d be hella grateful!
>>
>>

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